Blue Raven Tea

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Recent Tasting Notes

90

This one definitely gets one of my higher scores. I am normally not one for sweet flavored teas, but the folks at blue raven tea definitely put some effort into this one. I was very pleasantly surprised. I opened the sample to a bright fresh aroma of green tea, vanilla and a fruit of some sort. Looking back at it now i was able to read up a bit and find it to be dragon fruit and pomegranate. This was one of those teas that is naturally sweet, not overpoweringly but you could get away without adding sugar. The fruit and green tea almost make you feel quite a bit better about it when you’re done, like you just sat outside and really appreciated your surroundings. The pomegranate and vanilla are delicious, they are another one of those scents you can pick up from across the room. 3 minutes at 175 degrees F is just perfect for a great cup the lasts for what seems like 4 or 5 steeps. Definitely well worth the $4.50 for the small sample. This may be come a staple in my cupboard:)

Flavors: Honey, Vanilla

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec 4 tsp 34 OZ / 1000 ML

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80

Tea #14 from the Here’s Hoping TTB
This doesn’t really have a caramel taste to it like I expected, just a bit of sweetness. I find that I really enjoy it that way, I’ve had a few other caramel apple teas that ended up being sickeningly sweet and this is just the right balance for me. The cinnamon was a little unexpected, but a nice addition. The only downfall to this tea is that it really doesn’t resteep well.

This tea isn’t continuing on it’s TTB journey. There is just enough left for me to enjoy a few cups as autumn comes to an end.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec
moraiwe

Well, yay! I really like this one quite a lot too.

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drank Maiden's Mead by Blue Raven Tea
1719 tasting notes

This isn’t on the web site but the pouch was unopened. Possibly very old. The dry scent is kind of licorice. The steeped aroma is lightly floral – like a spring meadow. The sip has a bite of mildly astringent green tea – maybe I overheated or over steeped (190F – 3 minutes) – the primary note is ginger followed by a less pronounced and floral like honey. Late in the sip the licorice comes out again. This is well balanced, different, and interesting. I just don’t know if it appeals to me.

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84

I prepared this one again today. I used less leaf (one healthy scoop full – from the scoop that came with my press) and 180F water. This time I made sure to only go two minutes. The result is a lovely rose centered tea. The pomegranate is right beside but a step back from the rose. Both are balanced, not overwhelming, and I can taste the white tea base. There is a creaminess like vanilla surrounding the cup. All I can figure is this is from the pineapple. This is a very pleasant cup.

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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84

This came in a mystery box from Katiek. Blue River Tea is new to me. The few ratings seem a bit lackluster. This tea looks much darker than most white teas. Very dark green (white peony?) It is large broken pieces.

The taste is nice. It is primarily rose (there are blossom pieces in the mix) and the pomegranate is actually in a supporting role here. There are visible pieces of pineapple in the mix but I can’t pick them out. I taste the white tea in the aftertaste.

The instructions say to steep 2 minutes. I went three or four. That was a mistake. This is fairly bitter but I believe that to be my fault for ignoring directions. The second cup was lifeless as I drained most of the flavors out in the first cup.

Tomorrow I will again and this time pay attention. Except for the bitterness, the cup was pleasant enough to warrant a retry. Holding off rating until later.

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 30 sec
K S

As the second cup cooled, the flavor came back. It is light but there is no bitterness. It added a peppery note too.

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Thanks Moraiwe for this one. This is a really good cup! Not as sweet as I was expecting. I think I’m actually gonna dump it into a jar and throw the leaves and cold brew it. I think this could be a refreshing apple iced tea….

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80
drank Cairo by Blue Raven Tea
615 tasting notes

I got this as a sample with my last Blue Raven Tea order, and I’m a little bummed I can’t seem to find it on her website, because this is a pretty tasty tea (and I seem to really like spiced coconut teas) It’s also attractive with big chucks of cinnamon, flowers, and full shreds of coconut.

The spice mixture is the primary focus on the sip here and has a nice bite to it, I get the cinnamon primarily, but also tulsi, cardamom and maybe some vanilla. The coconut hits after you swallow and lingers there until the next sip when the spices get you again. I find myself wishing I had some coconut milk on hand to add, because I think that would elevate this tea to another level.

Any recommendations on other Coconut Chais to try?

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec
momo

I like Whispering Pines’ one…wouldn’t recommend Zhena’s – I got zero coconut flavor from it.

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94

Sipdown!
This tea smells amazing. The flavor is pretty good too. Sweet, roasted apple, caramel, and a touch of cinnamon. Such a perfect fall tea.

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94

Thanks Moraiwe! Oooh this is good. It’s sweet but it’s not overpowering sweet. The flavors are smooth and blend well together. I even like that hint of spice in it. I don’t think I’ve tasted the cinnamon in other caramel apple teas. It’s a nice touch. Thanks again!

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83

We went from 86 to 50 degrees outside. Looks like it’s going to rain too. Yuck.

This is becoming my go-to on cold, grey days. It’s sweet and cinnamon-y and delicious.

The dry leaf doesn’t smell nearly as sweet or apple-y as you might expect from something named ‘Caramel Apple Explosion’ with big ole apple chunks in it. But it does have a nice spiced smell.

As soon as the hot water hit, though it’s instant apple, cinnamon, and a generic sweetness.

The tea itself brewed a really rich red-brown and had a nice creamy mouthfeel. The initial taste that hit me was the apple, followed by some cinnamon and sweetness then ended off on a milky note which I’m assuming is more or less the ‘caramel’ finish. I did notice this tea tasted best piping hot.

It doesn’t have a great second steep as most of the flavor comes out in the first cup and you just end up with a sadder version of the first.

Overall, really really yummy. Really really warming and perfect for icky days.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec
moraiwe

Yep. There’s the thunder and rain. I hate thunder :/

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72

I was going to dive into a different tea this afternoon, but this one caught my attention on smell alone. It’s fruity and delicate and really just smells…happy! With the whole snow in the middle of April thing right now, I really appreciated this cup. This looks like it’s silver tips with blackberry leaves and tastes like spring I keep waiting for :)

Preparation
170 °F / 76 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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82

How have I not rated this before?! I love this one! It is so perfectly sweet and delicious. Mixes well with soy for a great evening caffeine free treat. I actually forgot about this tea until tonight! going to The website to order more now!

Edit: I want to rate this closer to a 90, But my phone won’t agree with me!

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100

WOW! Just wow. I love all things banana and this did not fail to impress! It isn’t fake banana tasting and even has huge chunks of bananas in it! It is smooth and sweet and blends perfectly with the rooibos! Mmm Mmm Mmm… Even my non-tea-drinking boyfriend liked his taste! I only wish I had purchased more than 1oz (and now I’m on a “money diet” so I agreed to no more tea buying :( sniff sniff

Note: I add “Slender Soy” Vanilla soy milk to every tea I drink.

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67
drank Mojito by Blue Raven Tea
558 tasting notes

Thanks Janefan for sending me some of this tea. I steeped it at 180F for 3 minutes, but think I need to play around with the parameters more because I didn’t taste much citrus, just mint. I think this would be good added to a plain or citrus green tea blend, as I couldn’t taste much tea. The mint was nice and light though, not in your face like a straight up peppermint tea. This was a nice relaxing after dinner cuppa.

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34
drank Autumn Harvest by Blue Raven Tea
2977 tasting notes

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34
drank Autumn Harvest by Blue Raven Tea
2977 tasting notes

another tea I’ve “unblended” — removed the chunks of melon and apple from my spoonful. Rinsed the leaves with the boiling water 10-15 seconds to try to remove pumpkin/cream flavoring, then steeped 10 min, no additives. Result: weak rooibos with a hint of cream. Exactly what was to be expected I suppose… it actually leaves a creamy aftertaste/smooth texture on the tongue, which is weird!

I can’t wait for my Stash Red Fusion (loose!) to get here. I bought some stopgap bagged rooibos at Harris Teeter, got home and looked it up and realized it was the Twinings that I’d disliked only days before. facepalm I should have either shelled out for the pretty good but expensive Numi, or settled for the placid but unobjectionable Celestial Seasonings Madagascar Vanilla rooibos. haven’t made it back to the store to exchange it yet, so here I am unblending my rooibos blends in a sad attempt to get plain ol’ red tea. :-(

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more

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34
drank Autumn Harvest by Blue Raven Tea
2977 tasting notes

more melony than pumpkiny, but does have sweet and creamy undertones. Can take a bit of milk and sugar, but I prefer to use have the amount of milk/sugar as I would in, say, a breakfast tea. Steeped 9 min (suggested 8-10).

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more

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34
drank Autumn Harvest by Blue Raven Tea
2977 tasting notes

Dry leaves smell of indeterminate spice/sweetness, Big chunks of dried fruit and some flowers visible in the blend.

Brews red-orange, smells like apples and cream, with a hint of what I would call “pumpkin pie spice.”

It is very sweet, no need to add sugar! Also it has a definite creamy taste to me. Can’t tell why, but I like it. However there is a slightly astringent/bitter finish that seems a bit tannic (drys the mouth). What’s up with that? Maybe it’s the melon, which I’m tasting as it cools.

I’m not quite sure what to make of all this. Maybe it’s not a first thing in the morning tea, because my taste buds are confused. This tea went from feeling creamy to feeling thin in about 5 min. And it’s sweet and fruity yet dries out my mouth… I can’t rate it right now. Will try on another day.

Preparation
Boiling 6 min, 0 sec
Janefan

dumping it out. when I’d rather drink mate than rooibos, something’s wrong.

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56

The red rooibos, dried mint, chocolate bits, dried apple, and possibly almond are clearly visible in this tea. It’s a pretty, festive blend with the red tea and green mint. The dry “tea” smells exactly like mint chocolate too!

I know from previous experience that this tea does taste just like it smells, when its hot. This time’s no different – mint upfront, chocolate in the middle, and a sweet (but not cloying) finish. I also remember though that it cools the apple, which is just generically “sweet” when hot, lets out it’s flavor. Mint chocolate is good, mint chocolate apple is not good. So, this blend is good if you drink it fast and hot!

Adding cream may complement the flavor, but will also cool the tea, and therefore may bring out the apple. I’m not risking it this time around.

Preparation
Boiling 6 min, 0 sec
Shanti

Ooh, this sounds cool :) Maybe try heating the milk before adding it? I usually do that to prevent cooling down my tea too much…plus it brings out the creaminess and sweetness of the milk more.

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